The Danger of Nighttime Eating
by Flamegirl22
Summary: Tony goes out for a late night snack and gets more than he bargained for. This is for Marvel Bingo 2019 on tumblr.


The Danger of Nighttime Eating

It was late, or early, depending on how you looked at it. Tony Stark had been on a four-day inventing binge. His team now had upgraded suits and coms. The suits he had designed for Natasha, Steve and Clint were lighter while being tougher than Kevlar. Even armor piercing rounds weren't getting through those. Tony knew, given time, someone would invent a round that would, but for the time, they were as safe as he could make them. Stark Industries would make sure the military, police and other first responders would have access to it too. Bruce got some pants that would hopefully grow with him and his counterpart. The coms will hopefully work for both Thor and Hulk. They needed to test those.

After four days of living on smoothies, protein bars and shakes and dried fruit, Tony was ready for some real food. That was why he was walking around Manhattan at three in the morning. There was a hole in the wall 24-hour diner that served some of the best pancakes Tony had ever had. And he wanted some. It was an easy fifteen-minute walk from the tower, and since he walked, when Cap gave him crap later about getting exercise, Tony could honestly tell him he had.

Hopefully Annie would be on tonight. She is the daughter of the owners. She tended to work nights for her parents and go to college during the day. She was sharp, had a mind for numbers and a love of robotics. He was hoping that once she graduated, she would join his R&D department. She was always good for some conversation.

The diner was simply called Mel's. Named after, Tony assumed, both owners, Melvin and Melody Marks and their daughter. Annie's first name is Meliza, but she insisted when she was five, she told him a few months after they first met, that she be called Annie. When Tony arrived, there was no one else in the diner. The little bell above the door jingled out his arrival.

"I'll be right with you!" Annie's voice called out from the back. "Have a seat wherever!"

Tony slid into his usual booth, pulled out his phone and started designing a new arrow for Clint. Tony figured if he could make him an arrow that sent out a shock wave upon impact could have a variety of uses. It would be great for crowd control. If he saw Nat or Steve becoming overwhelmed he would have the ability to help. Tony looked up from his design when Annie appeared beside him.

"Hey Mr. Stark, how's it going?"

"Hey Annie. It's going. How's college life treating you?"

"Oh, you know, living the dream." She gestured around her. Tony laughed.

"What is it going to be today?"

Tony shot her a hopeful look. "Blueberry cinnamon chip pancakes?"

Annie shook her head with a smile. "I should have known. You know, I don't make them for anyone but you. But I guess this is what I get for experimenting on you. I don't even understand how you like that combination. They were supposed to be a gag for my boyfriend in revenge for throwing away my notebook full of designs. Bacon?"

"You know me so well." Tony smiled and winked.

Annie walked away shaking her head. "I'll bring you over some coffee before I start your pancakes."

"You're an angel."

"I know."

Tony looked up a few minutes later when the young blonde came back. She was carrying a tray with a mug, a pot of coffee, creamer cups, sugar and a glass of juice, that judging from the color, was apple cranberry. She set all of that down in front of him. Then she stood back and put her hands on her hips. "I went to the trouble of making that juice for you. Drink it."

"Yes, I wouldn't want the effort of pouring from two different juice bottles to go to waste."

Annie rolled her eyes at him before turning to go back to the kitchen. Tony turned his attention back to the arrow design. It should work, he just had to figure out the math. He absently filled the mug, cursing when it overflowed a bit. He snatched up his phone with one hand while reaching for the napkin dispenser with the other. He mopped up the slight mess, leaned down and sipped some of the coffee out of the mug. When enough was gone he dumped both a creamer cup and a packet of sugar in. He needed the sugar and calories. He went back to work like nothing had happened.

Tony looked up when he heard footsteps. Annie was coming toward him carrying a tray on her shoulder. The short light pink dress that was Mel's standard uniform rode up a little on that side. Her apron, that had been pristine before, was now splattered with what he assumed was batter. She set the edge of the tray on the table, something he'd seen her mother scold her for, and started unloading his meal. She set down a plate of five fluffy pancakes, a container of syrup, a cup of whipped cream and a plate with eight pieces of bacon on it.

"Just how much do you think I'm going to eat?" Tony looked from the food in front of him to her face. She just raised an eyebrow at him, put her hand on her cocked hip and said "I know you know that my pancakes are just as good reheated. And there is never too much bacon. That's what gyms are for."

Tony couldn't help the laugh that escaped him. That was one of the reasons he loved Annie. She knew exactly who he was and she wasn't impressed in the least.

"Since I'm the only one here, you want to join me for a cup of coffee? For you I'll share."

Annie smiled. "Sure, I could use a break. Let me grab a mug."

Annie went back into the kitchen to, presumably, get a mug. She came back out with both a mug and an apple. She smiled at him as she slid into the opposite side of the booth. Tony pushed the pot of coffee, creamers and sugar at her. "I know you like more cream and sugar than coffee."

"Excuse you. I like equal parts coffee and cream. Get it right." She smiled as she continued to open and pour creamer cups into her mug. "I should have just brought the container of cream."

"That's not coffee, that's dessert," Tony said, as he took a bite of his pancakes. He closed his eyes and let out a little moan. "Annie, marry me, you will never want for anything. I will keep you supplied in robotics parts and supplies as long as you make these for me every day."

Annie laughed. "You don't need to go as far as marriage Mr. Stark, all you have to do is visit me every night. I assure you, I would be a very expensive pancake wife."

They settled into an easy conversation about her college courses. Tony had eaten all the bacon and two and a half of the pancakes when the glass window to their right exploded inward.

"Down!" Tony yelled as he ducked below the table. Once he was on the floor, he grabbed Annie's thigh and pulled. As she huddled beside him, he held a finger to his lips. She nodded, eyes darting around. He squeezed her shoulder and she took a steadying breath. She gave him a calmer nod. The bell above the door jangled again and Tony could hear several men talking, their voices were slightly muffled. It sounded like one set went in the direction of the kitchen while two came toward their hiding spot. When Tony spotted the first set of legs he struck. Tony launched himself at the guy, bringing him to the ground. Tony punched him several times in the face, noting absently that he was wearing a stupid looking clown mask, stunning him. Tony looked up as the other guy let out a bellow of rage.

Tony rolled off his opponent and moved to face the next one. Tony couldn't be sure but judging from their body structure, Tony thought they were some thug kids. Tony would be surprised if any of them could legally drink. As the kid charged at him, again wearing a clown mask, Tony picked up a chair and swung it at him. The kid dodged the worst of the hit, but he still managed a glancing blow to his left side. They exchanged a flurry of blows, Tony backpedaling away from the table Annie was still hiding under, he didn't want them to notice her. He wished he knew where the third one was. He could see the guy he tackled starting to get up. All three stopped when a voice from the front of the diner spoke.

"Tony Stark, I have to admit, not what I was expecting when we decided to rob this place. Angelo, get up and bring the girl with you. Ethan, get the key for the register and get the money."

The first thing Tony noticed was the small caliber handgun in, what appeared to be, the leader's hand. The second was that these were not hardened criminals. The way the gun trembled in his hand was his first clue. Annie struggled as Angelo pulled her from beneath the table. She cried out as Angelo struck her across the face.

"Hey!" Tony yelled as he stepped forward. The guy with the gun brought it up to point at him. Tony raised his hands as he stilled. "Ok, ok. Annie, stop struggling. It's ok. This isn't necessary. No one has gotten hurt so far. It doesn't have to go further than this. You can still walk away."

"I didn't sign up for this Dom. He's a freaking Avenger man! I didn't want-"

"Shut up Ethan!" Dom yelled. "I just need to think! Just let me think!"

"Ok." Tony said, taking a tiny step forward.

"No! Don't move! What are you doing?"

"I'm not doing anything. Why don't you stop waving that gun around before someone gets hurt?" Tony said, tone soothing.

Angelo, the one in the clown mask with blue hair, was watching everything with wide eyes, Annie's upper arm still held in his hand. Ethan suddenly threw the money he was gathering from the register down and bolted for the door. Dom turned and Tony lunged for him. Just before Tony got his hands on the gun, Dom fired. Tony felt pain flare in his side, but he ignored it. He wrapped his hand around Dom's wrist, twisted his body, trapping the younger man's arm between his arm and his body and forced the gun from his hand. The gun hit the floor and Tony kicked it away. He punched Dom in the face and let him fall to the floor. He looked over to Annie and Angelo just in time to see Annie deliver a powerful kick to his chest. She shot a grin at Tony and declared "I'm nobody's damsel in distress."

Tony couldn't help the grin that spread across his face. They watched as the two scrambled to their feet and fled out the door.

"Well, that was fun," Annie said as she pushed her blonde hair back from her face.

Tony studied her carefully. There were bruises forming on her face and her arm, but otherwise she seemed ok. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just another day. This isn't the first time I've been held up. You, however, are bleeding."

Tony glanced down at his side then back up at Annie. "This? This is nothing."

Tony went back to their booth, ducked under it, and retrieved his phone. He typed in a quick message to Jarvis then he shoved it in his pocket and pulled out his wallet. He looked around at the diner, except for the window, it looked pretty much the same. He walked over to Annie and handed her two hundred dollar bills. She just raised her right eyebrow at him.

"The first is for the pancakes, the second is for the chair."

Annie snorted. "That chair is worth thirty bucks, maybe."

"So you get an extra seventy dollar tip." When she still didn't take it, Tony reaches out and stuck it in her apron pocket.

She shook her head then said, "I assume you want to be kept out of the police report?"

"You got it."

Annie shrugged. "Not like I got much to tell the cops anyway. They came on foot, they were wearing those stupid clown masks and they left on foot. That's about it. I'd check and make sure there are no cameras around. We don't have any but I can't be sure other businesses don't."

"Already on it."

"Of course you are." Annie shook her head. "Well I need to call the cops, so you'd best get out of here."

"You'll be ok waiting by yourself?"

"Yes, I'll be fine. Now get out. Get that side looked at."

Tony made his way to the door. He paused and looked back at her. "Nice moves, by the way."

Annie's laugh followed him down the street. When he got to the end of the block, one of his cars was sitting there waiting for him. Tony slid behind the wheel, hand going to his side. Thankfully his shirt was dark as was the jacket he was wearing over it. Annie would have flipped out and insisted that he go to a hospital if she realized how much blood he was losing. He made the drive back to the Tower quickly, taking the speed limits more as suggestions than anything else.

"J, the shop, please. Have Dummy dig out the med kit. I have to go fishing."

"Sir, might I suggest that you let an actual medical professional tend to your wound?" Jarvis replied.

"Nope, I got this J. No need to involve anyone else."

It took Tony twenty minutes and a lot of cursing to dig the bullet out, stitch up his side and bandage it. When he was done, he cleaned up his work area then went upstairs to get some sleep.

Thirty six hours later, Tony knew he was in trouble. When he changed the bandage for the first time the wound was hot, red, puffy and leaking puss. Tony poked at it, trying to get all the puss out, slathered some antibiotic ointment on it and took one of the antibiotic pills he had left over from the last infected wound he had and hoped that would take care of it. That had been eight hours before. He was now starting to accept that fact that he might need actual medical help. He was sitting on one of the common room sofas, just about to have Jarvis give his doctor a call, when Steve walked in.

"Hey Tony, you don't look so good." Steve greeted as he paused by the couch, mouth pulled down in a frown.

"Well not all of us can be the peak of human perfection Steve. It's really not fair of you to judge."

"That is not what I meant, and you know it Tony. You look sick. Are you ok?"

Steve reached out and placed the back of his fingers against Tony's hot forehead. "You're burning up!"

Tony jerked his head away and reached up to slap his hand, which only resulted in his own stinging. "How would you know? You're a walking, talking furnace."

"Yes, but you're not. Tony what is going on?"

Tony closed his eyes as the world tilted on him.

"Woah," Steve exclaimed as he jumped forward and gripped Tony's shoulders. "You are not ok. Tony, talk to me. What is going on?"

Tony sighed as he leaned forward to rest his forehead on Steve's conveniently placed shoulder. "I may have an infection."

"What, Tony, I didn't understand that," Steve reached up and placed his hand on the side of Tony's neck. "Your pulse is racing. It's pounding against my palm." Steve eased Tony back, one big hand cupping the back of his head and neck. Once he had Tony settled against the back of the sofa he crouched in front of him. Tony opened his eyes when he Steve didn't say anything more.

"Tony, what happened?"

Tony let out a sigh. "I was shot the night before last. The wound is infected."

Steve rocked back on his heels, eyes going wide. "Why didn't you call us when you were in the hospital? Why didn't the doctor give you something for infection? Even I know bullet wounds are usually dirty."

Tony looked away; he didn't want to see Steve's face when he told him. "I didn't go to the hospital. I dug the bullet out myself. I thought I cleaned it out and I was taking some antibiotics I had from the last time a wound got infected."

Steve stood up and began to pace. "I don't even know where to start with that. You don't dig out a bullet by yourself! That's why people go to medical school. Did you go to medical school while I wasn't looking?" Steve turned to look at Tony, clearly waiting for an answer. Tony was feeling bad enough that he shook his head slightly. He watched as Steve softened. His shoulders relaxed and he slumped slightly. He came back over to Tony and placed his hand back on his neck and jaw. "Ok. We'll talk about this later and we will talk about it, but I don't think you are taking anything away from this right now. We are your friends Shell head. I'm your friend. You don't have to hide from us. C'mon. Let's get you to a hospital."

Steve stood and carefully brought Tony with him. He wrapped his arm around Tony's waist, supporting most of his weight.

"I don't suppose you'd make this easier on both of us and just let me carry you?"

"No!" Tony said, even as his knees threatened to give out.

"Then don't pass out, because if you do, then I'm carrying you. I'll even carry you into the ER and not let them put you on a gurney in the parking lot, so don't you dare pass out." Steve said as the elevator doors closed behind them.


End file.
